The report reads as follows:

1. PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 As the Kennet Island development progresses, access concerns have been raised by existing occupiers and future occupiers with regards the on street parking which occurs along Drake Way during weekdays. This on street parking can result in large vehicles being unable to reach there destinations safely while undertaking deliveries. These occurrences are likely to increase when the private Circle Hospital is completed and occupied in the summer of 2012 and when future development to the south of the Hilton Hotel commences.

1.2 When the Hospital and further development (which is included in the adopted Master plan for Kennet island) is completed, there is concern that the current levels of parking may obstruct emergency vehicles.

2. RECOMMENDED ACTION

2.1

That the Advisory Panel not this report.

2.2

That the following recommendation is made to Cabinet.

2.3

That in consultation with the Chair of the Advisory Panel, Lead Councillor for Regeneration, Transport & Planning and Ward Councillors, the Head of Legal Services be authorised to carry out statutory consultation on the relevant proposals as shown on drawings 24400/005/002 and 2440/005/003 where appropriate and subject to no objections being received that the Head of Transport implements the scheme.

2.4

If objections are received to the statutory consultations, those objections will be reported back to a future meeting of the Panel

3. POLICY CONTEXT

3.1

The proposals are in line with current Transport and Planning Policy.

4. THE PROPOSAL

4.1

Planning consent was granted for the redevelopment of the former Whitley Sewage works to a mixed used scheme (App 05/00548/OUT) and subsequently separate reserved matters planning applications have been submitted to cover the various plots on the site. These include Phases 1 and 2 of the residential scheme (App 09/00235/REM), the Hilton Hotel (08-00893-Ful) and the Circle Hospital (09/02187/FUL).

4.2

Following the completion of Phases 1 and 2 of the residential scheme and the opening of the hotel, deliveries to the hotel have been obstructed during the weekdays by on street parking along the west side of Drake Way. Safety has been further compromised by indiscriminate parking at the junction of Drake Way and Lindisfarne Way, which results in vehicles obscuring sight lines. When the non emergency private hospital opens and when the commercial developments commence on the vacant land to the south of the hotel, the potential for further obstructions to occur, will increase.

4.3

While parking occurs along Drakes Way in the evenings and weekends it is not to the same level as that which occurs during weekdays and the free flow of vehicular traffic is not severely hindered.

4.4

Therefore in order to provide clear access during the weekday it is proposed to introduce a limited waiting restriction of “Monday to Friday, No Waiting 8am to 6pm”, on the west side of Drake Way between the junction of Lindisfarne Road and Drakes Way and a point 140 metres south of this junction. This is the current adoptable length of Drake Way

4.5

However the developer is aware of the parking concerns within Kennet Island and therefore when the second phase of Drake Way is completed, the section adjacent to the Circle Hospital, parallel parking bays will be provided adjacent to the carriageway to accommodate the displaced parking. The developer has also confirmed that if the parking restrictions are approved, they will not be installed until after the new parking bays have been provided. This second phase of Drake Way is due for completion in summer 2012, prior to the opening of the Circle Hospital.

4.6

It should be noted that as the parking restrictions along Drake Way will only be between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, this will still allow visitors to the residential dwellings to park here during weekday evenings and weekends. Therefore, given the provision of the additional spaces on the second phase of Drake Way, the parking provision for the development will actually increase during these periods.

4.7

To approve the safety at the Drake Way / Lindisfarne Way junction it is proposed to introduce a “No Parking at any time” restriction on the 4 radii of

the junction (junction protection markings), to prevent the indiscriminate parking here continuing.

4.8

It is also proposed to add junction protection markings to all the other junctions along Drake Way, including those within the length currently under construction, to prevent the indiscriminate parking transferring to these locations again to the detriment of road safety.

4.9

Parking bays exist along the east side of Drake Way and these are private bays for the residential units which are adjacent to the road. To ensure that these are not obstructed, access protections markings will also be placed along the carriageway edge in front these parking bays.

4.10

Appendix A contains Drawings 24400/005/002 and 24400/005/003 which indicate the proposals together with photographs of the existing on street parking issues.

5. CONTRIBUTION TO STRATEGIC AIMS

5.1 To promote equality, social inclusion and a safe and healthy environment for all

6. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INFORMATION

6.1 Statutory consultation will be carried out in accordance with the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996. Additional local consultation will be carried out as required.

7. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1 Any proposals for waiting/ movement restrictions are advertised

under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

8. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

8.1 The works will be wholly funded by the Developer.

9. BACKGROUND PAPERS

9.1

Planning Consents for Kennet Island

9.2

Section 38 Agreement for Drake Way

I won’t upload the plans but these can be found at the RBC website at http://www.reading.gov.uk/meetings/details/3367/.

Very few residents know about the consultation that ends tomorrow, 19th May 2012.  No letters have been recieved by residents and when quizzed at the KIRA AGM, Cllr Mike Orton didn’t seem to have any further information either.  In fact, RBC have not even contacted KIRA.  I objected on these grounds:

Hi Chris

I understand that the consultation into the above ends on 19^th May 2012 and I would like to submit my objection on the grounds that the consultation has not been carried out to encompass all of the residents on Kennet Island that make use of Drake Way.  Signs have been sighted along Drake Way but residents along Drake Way do not appear to have any letters through their door, nor other island residents in other parts of the development, and the Kennet Island Residents Association has not been approached (of which I am a committee member and now Co-Chair) with details of this consultation.

As you will probably be aware, residents parking on Kennet island is extremely limited meaning that in most cases, family and friends are unable to visit due to a distinct lack of  parking spaces.  The only option, if lucky to be able to obtain one, is to make use of the road side along Drake Way – this applies day or night.  This also applies to people unable to find parking for local businesses such as the Island Lounge or Hudsons Convenience store.

Whilst I and other residents appreciate that the developers have raised concerns that large vehicles may not reach their destinations safely, I am more concerned that large vehicles are putting residents – including children – at risk by travelling through a residential area which includes Drake Way.  Surely the safest way would be to make use of an entrance via Commercial Way which is already used to such traffic?

The developer says that they are aware of the parking concerns within Kennet Island – something that seems to have been ignored in subsequent planning applications for Kennet Island – but fails to state that the proposed parallel parking spaces will be equal in number to the spaces lost from Drake Way.

Whilst this consultation appears to benefit the developers, it has done very little to engage with residents or offer any benefit to them.  On those grounds, I object.

Kind regards

Jamie Wake

I sent this by email to Chris Saunders only to find he is on annual leave so had to send to Jane Hicks and Darren Cook – I hope they acknowledge it!

• Pet License Demand on Kennet Island
• Fur Flies over £36 pet tax

Thankfully, St James and Hallmark have now seen sense and whilst they will still continuing with the scheme, they will now no longer charge for a license.  Our local Labour Cllrs are of course taking credit for this action (because they had a meeting with Hallmark) even though it was the residents here that were campaigning hard against this scheme and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate those residents that worked really hard in getting people to sign the petition, speak to the press and contact St James and Hallmark.  Obviously our pro-active Cllrs sent a press release to the papers (you have to publicise your successes) but thankfully our local papers phoned residents for further clarity and comments.  If you’re interested, the Labour site for Whitley, Whitley News says:

It’s a shame they didn’t want to mention the residents petition in their press release or any of the other actions residents have carried out but I guess that’s politics for you!  When Cllr Mike Orton (who I have a lot of time for) spoke at the KIRA AGM, he stated that they will never take credit for things other people have done!

Politics aside, this was a good result for residents and now that I have been elected co-chair of the Kennet Island Residents Association, I am in a better position to do a lot more for residents here, where we live.

When I get a bit more time, I will copy and paste the emails between myself and St James as they make for interesting reading!